Altered Art Card Book

Create an Art Journal From Playing Cards

Nov 8, 2007 Jenn Greenleaf

Compact art journals are a staple for any mixed media artist's tool kit. Finding affordable artist books in the size artists want is a challenge sometimes, though. Let's make one using playing cards! I don't think there's a household that doesn't have a deck of playing cards with missing cards. So, rather than throwing them away, let's use them for art.

Materials needed:

ten playing cards

white craft paper

brown paper bag

glue stick

ruler

standard hole punch

pencil

book ringsStep one: Punch two holes into each playing card about ¼ inch from the left hand edge and ¾ from the top and bottom of the card.Step two: Glue each card directly to the craft paper. Be sure to burnish the cards down firmly with the edge of the capped glue stick or the handles of the scissors. Rub out all air bubbles and creases so the paper is completely flat. Set the piece aside to dry completely under something heavy.Step three: Using scissors (or a craft knife) cut out each card. Re-punch the holes along the edge of each card. Add some extra adhesive to the edges of the paper, if necessary. Repeat the glue process on the other side of each card and set aside to dry again. Cut and re-punch the cards when dry.Step four: Cut open the brown paper back, and then take out two card pages along with the ruler. Measure a rectangle that is about one inch larger than the card page all the way around. Cut the rectangle out, crumple the bag, re-open it, and glue the card page to the center.Step five: Fold each of the corners, and then cut them off to create mitered corners when the center portions of the bag are folded and glued down. Save all the corner pieces that were cut off for a future art project. Allow the pieces to dry completely, and then re-punch the holes.

• TIP: To help find the holes through the paper bag, find them with your fingers and then pinch until the rounds show through the paper.)

Step six: Cut a piece of craft paper slightly smaller than the cover and glue the pieces on to the sides where all the folded pieces of bag here affixed to the cover. (This will be the inside covers of the book.) Let dry and re-punch the holes once again.

Step seven: Assemble the book with the book rings. Large rings were used for this particular project to allow for more pages to be added, and to allow for the book to bulk out as mixed media elements and embellishments are added.This book disassembles easily so eyelets can be added to the front and back covers. It also can easily be added to a larger book in the future.